Match Officials (Page 2)

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Referee, Rob Massey-Ellis,

The 2025/26 Enterprise National League campaign gets underway at Huish Park on Saturday and Yeovil vs. Hartlepool will be refereed by Rob Massey-Ellis.

Massey-Ellis is part of an officiating marriage with his wife, Sian also an official – now mainly in the VAR room, but formerly at international and Premier League level.

The Glovers don’t have a great record when Mr Massey-Ellis takes charge; four games, zero wins. But as an odd quirk, also zero losses.

Every time he’s managed our game, it’s ended in a draw!

That included two games last season, a 1-1 draw against Aldershot at Huish Park and a 1-1 draw away at Ebbsfleet.

He sent off ‘Fleet defender, Mustapha Olagunju on the hour, but the hosts held out to take a point.

He’s also in our system for a stalemate against Dover back in 2021, when Tom Knowles was KO’d by the goal mouth and he saw no reason to act.

James Hooper and Richard J Morris are his assistants, Ryan Saward is on dugout patrol.

Rob Massey-Ellis explains to Alex Bradley why he’s not going to send off Hulk Hogan for his body slam on Tom Knowles.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Hartlepool United FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Massey-Ellis, Robert
Assistant Referee: Hooper, James
Assistant Referee: Morris, Richard J.
Fourth Official: Saward, Ryan

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Ref, Referee, Match Official

45 down, one to go.

Yeovil Town head to Aldershot Town on Monday for the final game of the season, and the referee for the occasion is Mr Niall Smith.

Smith has been the man in the middle just 13 times across the National League divisions this season, but has also been regularly holding subs boards up in the EFL too.

He’s dished out 55 yellows and just one red card this season, he’s also been fairly lenient on the spot kicks too, awarding just three – two of which came in the same game.

Yeovil have already had the pleasure of his company once last season, he marshalled the 1-0 away win over Taunton Town in the National League South, a single Frank Nouble goal the difference.

Jordan Young, Jake Wannell and Michael Smith all had their names taken, but he doesn’t even get a mention in our match report – which is usually, a good thing.

Niall Smith has Steven Plane flying down one side (geddit?) with Adam Wilson down the other. Charles Martland is the fourth official.

Niall Smith (left) leads out the teams as Taunton face Yeovil

Aldershot Town (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Smith, Niall
Assistant Referee: Plane, Steven
Assistant Referee: Wilson, Adam
Fourth Official: Martland, Charles

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Yeovil Town host Sutton United this Saturday and the match represents a first National League appointment for our referee, Emily Heaslip.

That’s not to say she isn’t experienced, she’s vastly experienced and has refereed at the top level of the Women’s game in the WSL. She reffed the 2025 Women’s League Cup Final and led a trial of having referee’s wearing microphones in the WSL. 

She’s taken charge of 11 games in the National League regional divisions, all since the turn of the year. She’s dished out 24 yellow cards and two reds.

As you might have guessed this is the first time she’s officiated either Yeovil or Sutton. 

She will joined by Jack Clench and Daniel Flynn with Kevin Morris in charge of marshalling the dug outs. 

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Sutton United FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Heaslip, Emily
Assistant Referee: Clench, Jack
Assistant Referee: Flynn, Daniel
Fourth Official: Morris, Kevin

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Ref, Referee, Match Official

No sooner has the Easter Bunny come and gone, does the football get going on and the Glovers make the relatively short trip to Eastleigh for a Monday Afternoon clash.

I’d be willing to… Wager… that we’ll have a referee for that game, step forward Harry Wager. 

Mr Wager will be officiating just his third National League Premier game of the season, having been used predominantly across the North/South divisions.

He’s only been in the middle 13 times this season across the three leagues, 65 yellow cards, four reds and six penalties have followed him.

Most recently he took charge of Dagenham’s 3-1 defeat to Tamworth where he sent off Daggers’ Chris Francis, for what can only be described as an absolute shocker of a challenge, so fully justified.

Yeovil have seen him twice, both last season, the 3-1 win over Dartford which saw us lift the trophy (Frank Nouble missed the penalty that Mr Wager awarded us!)

He was also in charge for the 1-1 draw away at St Albans.

Nick Blogg and Stuart Kane are flagging up and down the line, Steven Hughes will be signalling the subs. 

Eastleigh FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Wager, Harry
Assistant Referee: Blogg, Nick
Assistant Referee: Kane, Stuart
Fourth Official: Hughes, Steven

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Easter Weekend brings with it a double header of football and we begin on Good Friday with the visit of Forest Green Rovers, our referee for the game will be Declan Brown.

This will only be Mr Brown’s second appearance in the middle at this level having made his National League Premier debut last week when he took charge of Ebbsfleet’s 4-1 win over Sutton United. He booked two members of the away side, and that’s about it.

He’s mainly been used in the National League North this season, dishing out 53 yellows in 16 games and chucking in a couple of red ones for good measure.

Unsurprisingly, this also represents his first ever time taking charge of Yeovil or Forest Green.

As an aside, he has sent off for Yeovil defender Alfie Pond when taking charge of a Wolves U21s game earlier in the year.

He’ll be assisted by Justin Amey, David Pilling whilst Matthew Scholes looks after the dugouts.

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v Forest Green Rovers (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Brown, Declan
Assistant Referee: Amey, Justin
Assistant Referee: Pilling, David
Fourth Official: Scholes, Matthew

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“…and as for the officials, with Rule One rattling around my head, probably up there with one of the worst performances I’ve seen from the officials ever, at times they were literally guessing. Just pointing flags in random directions and I know Mr Stephen Copeland was a late sub for the game as the man in the middle, but it’s not all about you mate, control the game, protect the players. “

Well, this one could get awkward.

I sure hope Mr Copeland didn’t read that, or at the very least take it to heart. 

Stephen Copeland will be the man in the middle for Yeovil Town’s home game against Oldham this weekend.

The above quote comes from Gloverscast Ben’s Five Conclusions from the 0-0 draw with Tamworth, where, if you recall, he sent off Morgan Williams for an ‘Orange card’ offence.

His performance for rest of the game clearly rubbed Ben up the wrong way. 

It was the fourth time we’d had Mr Copeland as a ref, the other three without much incident, including a 3-0 home win over Wrexham.

He’s also reffed Oldham four times, but not this season.

He’s been used across various competitions this campaign and as such only has ten National League games to his name.

But in those 10 games, he dished out 52 Yellow cards, five reds and NINE penalties. 

Not one to get on the wrong side of.

Mr Copeland will be assisted by Stuart Kane and Andrew Ellis, Phillip Eddie will be keeping tabs on the dugouts and getting in both ears from the gaffers.

Best behavior, lads.

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Yeovil Town head to Greater Manchester and so will Mr Dale Baines and his team of match officials.

We’ve seen Mr Baines at Huish Park this season, he took charge of the Glovers’ 2-1 win over Tamworth with goals from Charlie Cooper and Frank Nouble ensuring the hosts took the three points despite going behind on that occasion.

He only booked one Yeovil player, Ciaran McGuckin on the naughty list and did turn down what might be described as an absolute ‘stone waller’ of a penalty when Kyrell Wilson hit the deck in the area.

Mr Baines is a busy chap, he’s officiated as high as League One and as low as the National League South this season, with plenty of cup coverage and some Premier League 2 games thrown in for good measure.

His record reads 104 Yellows and just two reds across all competitions this season.

He’s only taken charge of a single Altrincham game in his career, a 2-1 away defeat to Chesterfield in January 2024.

Mr Baines will be assisted by Martin Parker and David Holmes, Kavan Hurn is in charge of the dugouts.

Dale Baines awards Braintree a penalty against Ebbsfleet

Altrincham FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier
Referee: Baines, Dale
Assistant Referee: Parker, Martin
Assistant Referee: Holmes, David
Fourth Official: Hurn, Kavan

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Ross Martin, we really must stop meeting like this…

This weekend’s home game against AFC Fylde gives us the chance to get one of our favourite, match day photos back out (see below) as Ross Martin returns to Huish Park for the third time this season.

Firstly, Mr Martin was in charge when both Dagenham and Redbridge came to town, a single Ciaran McGuckin goal was enough to see off both teams.

He was back not long after, arriving at the home of Somerset football on Boxing Day where he oversaw a 2-2 draw between the Glovers and Eastleigh.

He’s officiated one Fylde game this campaign, a 1-0 loss away at Wealdstone.

In total, 15 National League games have seen him brandish 58 Yellow Cards, One Red Card and pointed to the penalty spot twice.

Ross Martin will be assisted by Dean Treleaven and Grzegorz Kornasiewicz with Ashley Clarke marshalling the dug outs.

Referee Ross Martin sent off by Jolly Green pre match, a bit harsh, maybe.
Pic Gary Brown

Yeovil Town FC (First Team) v AFC Fylde (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Martin, Ross
Assistant Referee: Treleaven, Dean
Assistant Referee: Kornasiewicz, Grzegorz
Fourth Official: Clarke, Ashley

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Yeovil Town are off to the Midlands for their National League Premier Clash against Solihull Moors and Sebastian Stockbridge won’t be far behind.

This will be Mr Stockbridge’s first National League game of the season, with all of his previous commitments being in the EFL.

In 24 games across Leagues One and Two he’s dished out, 107 Yellow cards, two reds and pointed at the spot half a dozen times for good measure.

A vastly experienced official, you have to go all the way back to 2016 before you can find his last game in charge of the Glovers, a 4-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle; Nathan Smith, Ryan Hedges and Kevin Dawson all saw yellow that day.

Now, you may remember that fantastic 4-3 win over Barnet, also in 2016… well, Seb was right in the middle of that one too!
That does mean he awarded the penalty to John Akinde, but Liam Walsh and Harry Cornick meant that it didn’t really matter.

As far as I can tell, he’s only taken charge of one Solihull Moors game – a second round clash between Hartlepool and Solihull in the FA Cup which went the way of Pools on penalties.

He will be assisted by Daniel Flynn and Thomas Staten, Wayne Gray (not that one) will be on fourth official duties. 

Solihull Moors FC (First Team) v Yeovil Town FC (First Team)
National League – Premier    
Referee: Stockbridge, Sebastian
Assistant Referee: Flynn, Daniel
Assistant Referee: Staten, Thomas
Fourth Official: Gray, Wayne

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Yeovil Town host York City at Huish Park this Saturday and it falls on Mr Aaron Farmer to keep the peace at match official.

It’ll be Mr Farmer’s Huish Park debut, but we have already seen him this season.

He had arguably the best seat in the house for Brett McGavin’s worldie strike against Woking, the first of two goals in a 2-0 win for the Glovers.

You may also remember that he sent off Woking’s Jack Stretton for violent conduct after he clashed with FC-D off the ball.

He’s also taken charge of a York City game this season, he was in the middle for their loss to Boston United in mid January.

In total, 12 National League games have rendered 50 yellow cards, two red ones and four penalties.

Mr Farmer will be assisted by Leigh Crowhurst, Chris Husband with Nick Blogg on fourth official duties. 

Aaron Farmer (Right) discusses just how much of a naughty boy Jack Stretton was for Woking